Electric cut-out.



No. 890,200. PATENTE'D JUNE 9, 1908 W; G.' TREGONING'. 'EIQBGTRIGGUT-OUT;

APPLICATION IILED APR. 8, 1907.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM C. TREGONING, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE TREGONINGELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OFOHIO.

ELECTRIC CUT- OUT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 9, 1908.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. TREGON- ING,a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county ofCuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Electric Cut- Outs, and do declare that the followingisa full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to electric cut-outs and is an improvementcomprising the combination and arrangement of parts substantially ashereinafter shown and described and more particularly pointed out in theisv a cross sectional view of the two separable rosette parts shownunited. Fig. 2 is a face elevation of the base part, and Fig. 3 asimilar view of the cap of the rosette. Fig. 4 is a perspective view ofone of the interlocking contact members for the base, and Fig. 5 is aperspective view of one of the interlocking contact members for the cap.Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a portion of two rosette parts andillustrating a modification of the interlocking contact member for thebase. Fig. 7 is a sectional detail and edge view of two contact membersinterlocked and as viewed if looking outward from line 77, Fig. 1, andFig. 8 illustrates said parts apart and as entering into lockingrelation.

The general construction of the rosette or cut-out is not considered asembodying anything new over the usual forms of rosettes, except ashereinafter pointed out, and any separable arrangement may be used whichcomprises a base part 2 and a cap 3 removably mounted thereon, .s'aidparts, however, being preferably made of porcelain or other suitableinsulating material. Both said parts are recessed or internally groovedat l4 and 5 respectively, and provided with screw'openings and seats 6and 7, respectively, for their respective interlocking contact members-8 and 9. Openings 10 in base -2 are also provided for fastening screws(not shown) whereby said base may be attached to a wall or ceiling, andcap 3 has a cen-' tral recess and opening 11- through which theelectrical cords are passed and connections made with the screwterminals within the cap, which also has provision for fuses 12, asusual.

Now coming to the new and novel features of the device, and as embodiedin the inter- Loutline having screw holes 14 in one angle portion 15whereby screws 16secure the said member firmlyv in place upon the basewith the other angle portion17projecting inward over recess -4on a planesubstantially flush with the face of said base. Portion -17 ispreferably curved at its edges to conform with the circular outline ofthe rosette, and has a slot 18 centrally thereof which extends parallelwith said edges from a point near the end edge l9 of said portion 17 toapproximately the opposite edge 20 where it makes an abrupt angular turnin the direction'of portion 15 and then outward to the edges therebyproviding a spring tongue 2lof L shape having its base of the same widthat edge -20 as the opposite edge -19. Each of said edges is downturnedto provide locking lips 22 as will hereinafter more fully appear. Thefree end of tongue 2l lies normally on an inclined plane in respect tothe more rigid half 2-3 of portion 17, as seen best in Fig. 8, and saidtongue becomes the main factor in making electrical contact with capcontact member 9-. Rigid part 23 supplements tongue -21 in makingelectrical contact, but its primary and important function is to back upor brace said tongue against mechanical strain, such a strain forinstance as would occur in separating cap 3 for the purposes described.

from base 2, or any pull thereon by the weight suspended from said capif the device is remounted upon the ceiling.

The contact members 9 of cap 3- must necessarily be constructed withparticular reference to contact portions 21 and 23 of member 8, and tothis end each comprises a U shaped member in cross section which isfastened to cap -3 by screws 24. Each member 9- has a projecting bodyportion 25 of the same or approximately the same width as portion 17 ofcontact member 8, or in other words has a width corresponding to bothspring tongue 21 and rigid art 23, and whereby full engagement is mac ewith both said parts The free end '26 of body portion 25 is bent orinclined to provide both a lock and a guide for spring tongue 21. Thus,when cap 3 is rotated to bring contact members 8- and 9 into lockingrelation tongue 21 engages the inclined face of end 26 and rides thereoninto place. Interlocking between said members is brought about about bylocking lips 22 of contact member -8-, and it Wlll be noted that bodyportion 25 of member 9 is of less length than tongue 2 1 to fit snuglybetween said lips -22- (see Fig. 7). The locking lip 22- at end 19 ofmember 8 serves as a stop to limit the rotation between the base and capparts when putting them together.

The spring members 8 are of brass and comparatively thick or heavy incross section to make them stron and serviceable. But to provide a goode lastic or flexible spring action said members are formed into a doublespring by shaping a fiat plate into oppositely extending springportions, the outer or freer spring tongue being a continuation of theinner and stiffer spring portion and which latter portion extends atright angles to the base or fastening part of the member. It will alsobe understood that both spring portions lie on substantially the sameplane and that one supplements the other, not only in spring action butalso in making a better and stronger contact with member 9-- thusassuring greater me chanical strength. Both ends of the spring portionsof members 8 have a greater width than the main or central stem of eachportion, the object'being to provide good and sufficient contact surfacefor initial electrical contact and final break.

What I claim is z 1. In electrical'cut-outs, separable base and cappartshaving electrical contact members adapted to interlock, one of saidcontact members consisting of a base part having a spring portionprojecting therefrom and a secondary spring portion projected as acontinuation thereof in an opposite direction on the same plane andparallel thereto.

spring portions of said first contact member.

3. In electrical cut-outs, a base part and a cap part and interlockingelectrical contact members sep'arably uniting said parts one of saidcontactmembers comprising a spring plate having a split portion dividedinto 0 positely extending spring tongues relative y as shown, and theother of said contact members adapted to overlap and engage both springtongues of said spring plate.

4. An electrical cut-out contact member comprising a metallic plateformed of one piece and having a base part, a spring extension atanangle to-s-aid base part, a secondary spring extension integral withsaid first extension and rojecting from itsfree end parallel and sustantially on thesame plane therewith, and a lateral portion on the freeend of said second extension, said member providing a double springdisposed in parallel ines on the same plane and with their free end-srelatively wider than their main stems.

'5. In electrical cut-outs, a base part and a cap part and interlockingelectrical contact members separably uniting said parts, one of saidcontact members comprising a flat base plate of angular shape having asplit portion divided into oppositely extending tongues with lookinglips at their free ends, and the other of said contact members adaptedto overlap and engage both said tongues of said first contact member andhaving opposite end edges adapted to engage said lips.

6. An electrical cut-out contact member comprising a spring plate havinga base part and a stiff spring portion extending therefrom, and beingfurther provided with secondary spring portion integral with the freeend of said first portion and projected therefrom as a free spring in anopposite direction and parallel therewith.

7. A contact member for electrical cutouts comprising a spring platehaving a s lit portion divided into oppositely extent ing spring tonguesrelatively as shown.

8. A contact member for electrical cutouts comprising a base plate ofsubstantially L shape having a split portion divided into oppositelyextending spring tongues with looking lips at their free ends.

- 9. A contactmember for electrical cutouts comprising a base platehaving a stiff spring extension provided with a reversely extendingspring portion at the free end thereof and on substantially'the sameplane therewith said portion having a free end of In testimony whereof Isign this specificagreaterwidth than its stem projecting toward I tionin the presence of tWo Witnesses.

the base end of said member.

10. A contact member for electrical cut- 5 WILLIAM TREGONING' 5 outscomprising a base plate of spring metal Witnesses:

having a stiff spring portion provided with a R. B. MosER, supplementalspring tongue of L shape. E. M. FISHER.

